Pull-down stairs: gas struts vs. springs

[Alan Douglas]

I asked earlier about one-piece aluminum stairs and they don't seem to exist, so I'm thinking now of the usual folding aluminum ladders, to replace a rickety 40-year-old wooden model. Nearly all of the current aluminum ones use gas struts instead of the traditional extension springs, and the one exception specifies a minimum ceiling height of 11" more than my hallway.

I was a bit worried about gas struts losing their springiness over time, and I found one complaint on a manufacturer's forum of a panel not closing after only three years.

Has anyone had experience with this? As of now, I'm leaning toward buying the common gas-strut model at Home Depot and treating it as a kit of parts, using my currently-installed springs and arms with the new aluminum ladder. It will take some time to adapt it but at least I can do all the work from below, myself, at any pace.

 

[Gary S]

I suspect you are correct about struts losing pressure. I've seen lots of failed struts on car lids, so I wouldn't expect any better life in a garage. We don't expect a car to last over 10 years, but we expect a garage to last over 100 years. Springs seldom fail, so if I were building, I would go with springs for long life.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

Springs. I remember when my Dad installed pull down stairs into the attic of our house when I was growing up. I am 35, so that was at least 20 years ago. They are springs, and still working. Metal can fatigue and fail too, but I suspect well after a set of gas/oil charged shocks do.

 

[finn]

The problem with the springs is that when they fail, your head may be right next to them.

I would bet that failure situation is why the manufacturer is moving towards struts.

 

[Zeke]

Last year I installed an AL model in an 8' 4" ceiling height. One of the models HD sells fits in that range but I had to cut the last section as prescribed in the instructions. The treads are generous and level if you do it right. Very sturdy feeling ladder.

Regarding the telescoping model, they might be pricey. But did you see the one with the cargo lift guide thingy? I think that says they are sturdy too. You have to go beyond my links in the other thread.

 

[denis4x4]

It's been my experience that strut failure is a function of the temperature. An extremely cold winter plays hell on struts. My fold down ladder is in a barn that can get very cold and the springs are still good after 12 years.

 

[9C1]

I too have seen a lot of gas strut failure in automotive applications, but the heating and cooling cycles and vibration and dirt are much greater in autos than in a garage or home environment. I think I would chance the gas struts for an indoor ladder, but I would check into parts availability before pulling the trigger.
Terry

 

[67carl]

What are everyones thoughts on why the struts in an attic ladder would fail? Is it wear from use or just time (seals/gaskets eroding)? I wouldn't think an attic ladder would get as much wear as a car, plus it won't have as harsh a life as a car strut.

I just put in the largest, widest heavy duty pull down model with struts that HD carries. It works beautifully and I can operate it easily with one hand. My neighbor, by contrast, has an ancient one with springs and it takes two hands, plus some bodyweight, to get it down.

I guess time will tell what the durability is but my preference is the ease of use gas struts.

 

[Lilsmokey]

I don't know how the strut ones work, but I have 13year old springs In my garage and it goes up and down just as easy as when the house was built.

 

[Crazy68Dart]

What are everyones thoughts on why the struts in an attic ladder would fail? Is it wear from use or just time (seals/gaskets eroding)? I wouldn't think an attic ladder would get as much wear as a car, plus it won't have as harsh a life as a car strut.

I just put in the largest, widest heavy duty pull down model with struts that HD carries. It works beautifully and I can operate it easily with one hand. My neighbor, by contrast, has an ancient one with springs and it takes two hands, plus some bodyweight, to get it down.

I guess time will tell what the durability is but my preference is the ease of use gas struts.

Gas struts... combination of things that cause them to fail. There is nothing wrong with them, and are used in applications all over the place. They typically fail when the seals get damaged. How this happens, depends. Corrosion of the strut rod ripping the seal, dirt/dust, abuse (over extending, etc.).

I would not be concerned about replacing them. I just had to replace our hot tub cover, and the lift system it uses has gas struts. It only had one on one side of the lift, but I mounted a second and reduced the lift pressure when I replaced the single heavier with two smaller. Lots of places sell them online. This is an outdoor tub, and the original strut lasted 9 years in the weather.

The amount of use and condition plays a big part in all of it. The more they are retracted/extended allows for seal damaged to occur. I would expect attic steps to last a long time, at least for me who rarely gets into an attic space.

The spring unit my Dad used does require a good tug to pull it down and careful when closing or it will want to slam on you. It is a HD has he typically over does everything... lol.

 

[Alan Douglas]

My neighbor, by contrast, has an ancient one with springs and it takes two hands, plus some bodyweight, to get it down.

Sounds like too much spring force. My old one is adjustable; there are three holes for the spring, at different distances from the pivot.

 

[67carl]

Sounds like too much spring force. My old one is adjustable; there are three holes for the spring, at different distances from the pivot.

Who knows, a previous owner may have replaced the original spring with one meant for a garage door! Ya gotta hold on when you close it because it snaps shut quickly. Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with either. They both do the same thing.